Liverpool 0, Man United 1 (D,Post)

WAYNE ROONEY required a four-man police escort to the Manchester United coach on Saturday afternoon, his impish grin a stark contrast to the contorted features of the Liverpool fans who waved their conqueror off with a volley of abuse.

WAYNE ROONEY required a four-man police escort to the Manchester United coach on Saturday afternoon, his impish grin a stark contrast to the contorted features of the Liverpool fans who waved their conqueror off with a volley of abuse.

There may not be a direct translation of 'worst case scenario' in Spanish, but for Rafael Benitez, his La Liga imports and everyone else associated with the reds of Merseyside this weekend, this was it.

It was bad enough that the striker who settled a tense and scrappy spat between these bitter rivals should be a former Evertonian turned Manchester United messiah marking his return to these parts with a galling goal at the Kop end.

And then made sure everyone knew about it by goading the fans behind it in exchange for a mobile phone.

But for Benitez there are ramifications from this defeat that extend beyond the identity of the teenager who inflicted it or any north west points-scoring, and they are even more difficult to accept.

The progress of his Liverpool team has been measured against the leading lights of the Premier-ship at Anfield this season.

Arsenal were deservedly beaten by a true team performance while runaway leaders Chelsea stole three points thanks to solid defending and a myopic referee.

Yet United, the most prized scalp of all, were treated to the poorest Liverpool display of them all. And for all the encouragement this season has brought it was a result that confirmed a large gap still has to be bridged before Benitez can turn Liverpool from hopefuls into contenders.

How to make that leap without the resources of the top three is also an issue that will cause restless nights at the Benitez household on the evidence of this.

United won courtesy of a goal from a 19-year-old who cost more than the Liverpool manager has so far spent on his own squad since last summer. And with indications there is no more money to spend this month after the #6.3m acquisition of Fernando Morientes, the handicap is obvious.

As is the need for more players of Morientes's pedigree, illuminated tellingly on Saturday.

The Spanish international was a clearly short of match fitness against United but added enough power and presence to the Liverpool front-line to indicate what a fine addition he will be.

But on the admittedly rare occasions when Steven Gerrard fails to hit the inspirational standards he has set for himself, and shows he actually is human after all, who can Benitez really rely on to swing a high-stakes game such as this Liverpool's way?

United, without the front and back of their spine in Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rio Ferdinand, had matchwinners not only in Rooney, whose only contribution in the first half was to somehow beat Jerzy Dudek from 25 yards, but Cristiano Ronaldo and the excellent Louis Saha too.

Crucially, in Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, they also had models of consistency and command that Liverpool are still only aspiring too.

Benitez himself revealed his concern at Liverpool's inconsistency afterwards, as close as the manager will perhaps ever come to admitting he has problems of trust with this team.

Liverpool enjoyed plenty of possession against Sir Alex Ferguson's improving side, especially when Wes Brown was dismissed with 29 minutes left to play for a second bookable offence. But they never hurt United once, their passing was a poor relation of their opponents and their decision-making bordered on self-destruct. As Dudek encapsulated in the 22nd minute.

Gary McAllister suggested in the television studies at half-time that the Polish international has retreated into a fragile mental state since 'the Forlan incident' of 2002. It is a problem that cannot be coached away on the training ground.

The reliable presence and outstanding reflexes are certainly not what they were before that gift to the Uruguayan flop and if Dudek was not already haunted by United he will be now.

All of Anfield knew what Rooney was going to do the second he took possession deep on the left and crunched into his familiar shooting frame. His strike was powerful and true from 25 yards, and straight down the Liverpool goal at a goalkeeper who saw it all the way but failed to put out an arm in time.

It is a goal that looks worse with every viewing and one that proved vital against a Liverpool side that struggled to disrupt a dominant United defence throughout.

They had, in fairness, began the game on top, with a tempo and belief that was matched by the passion in the stands. Then came Rooney's moment and it was though a pin-prick had shattered the confidence in both the Liverpool players and supporters. And they never recovered.

Liverpool's two debutants, Morientes and no-nonsense defender Mauricio Pellegrino, can be satisfied with their first appearances if both a little rusty due to this season's inactivity at Real Madrid and Valencia respectively.

But, just like the contest itself, the side's efforts were too scrappy to ever recover from Dudek's mistake.

As in most games against United or Everton there was a frenetic, ugly opening.

But whereas a football game usually then breaks out on Saturday it never did, and until Jamie Carragher forced a low save out of Roy Carroll in the 89th minute Liverpool had not tested the suspect visiting keeper once.

Morientes won several aerial tussles with Brown and Mikael Silvestre, though often out of harm's way, and volleyed one half chance high and wide after making space for himself through excellent control.

United, however, with Keane, Saha and Gabriel Heinze outstanding, always displayed more intelligence in possession and even when Brown's dismissal for a late lunge on John Arne Riise forced them to retreat and defend their slender lead they still looked comfortable.

Luis Garcia wasted one volleyed chance following a fine deep cross by substitute Antonio Nunez, who perhaps should have provided the service Morientes would have thrived on instead of replacing him, but there was no convincing late rally as in recent clashes with United on this ground.

Instead there was only an early rush for the exits, and for a date with a certain Mr Rooney.